Front Axle / Front Suspension: Upper control arm outer pin

[wdills]

I am finally to the point of putting things back together on my 61 Hawk. I am currently putting the front suspension back together. Just installed the first upper control arm. I was wondering how hard it should be to turn the outer pin once the spreader is released and the king pin pinch bolt is loose.

Thanks
Wayne

[Michael J Hawk]

I'm doing the exact same thing on a '61 hawk. I disassembled the entire thing and clean and painted everything. The only parts I replaced were the tie rod ends and all the a-arm bushings. I haven't had any problems with anything except wondering how the threads hold up in the control arm ears after being reassembled. Seems like really soft material. The spec calls out for a lot of torque. I assume the king pin always ends up where its supposed to be.

[showbizkid]

Remember, you're tightening those caps into the A-arm, but you're also torquing them against each other and the threads on the pin itself. The spec does call for lots of torque, but it's needed to keep everything together and each part in dynamic tension with all the other parts.

Once you've torqued everything and removed the spreader, it'll be very hard to turn by hand, but it's not supposed to be turned by hand - it's 3,000+ lbs. of car bouncing over pavement at speed that turns it! So don't be worried. Just follow the manual and it'll all turn out OK.

[JoeHall]

The key issue is whether it will take grease after re-assembly. If a hand held grease gun will push grease all the way through to the o'rings, the cap-to-pin threads are not under side load. The spreaders are to arrange for loose fit (free float) of the cap-to-pin threads, once the caps are bottomed out in the 'A' arms. If it won't take grease, dis-assemble and repeat the spread process until it will. Once it will take grease, it will still be fairly tight but turn able, usually by hand.

The upper pin is how caster and camber is set. Notice the offset while re-assembling, then follow the Shop Manual to set the caster and camber.